Transmission-gearing.



P. E. CLARK.

TRANSMISSION GEARING. APPLICATION FILED MAR. a. 1909.

95 1 ,Q55 Patented Mar. 1, 1910. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

.ZiZUZZ Z021 P7872 2% 226.27, 67a 7 Z? PRENTICEE. CLARK, ,OF,ELKINS,,WEST VIRGINIA. y i v TRAN-sMIssIQN-GEAR NG; v i 1 To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, PRENTIc-E E. CLARK,

a citizen of the UnitedvStates, residing at Elkins, in the county of'Randolph and State .of Test Virginia, have invented new-and useful Improvements 111 Transmission-Gearing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements-in transmission gearing for converting continuous rotary motion into alternating rotary motion and is especially adapted foruse in laundry plants in connection with a gang of laundry machines. The invention is not limited to this particular application, however, butmay. be employed in'otherconnections wherein an alternating rotary motion .may be necessary or advantageous as,

connections. The ultlmatepurpose of the inventlon is to provlde av transmission--gear1ng 1n Toward the .end of accomplishing the above object, the apparatus more particularly com'prisestwo oppositelydriven gear wheels which are loosely mounted L on the main shaft and which are provided with clutch faces for cooperation with axially movable clutch elements. The arrangement is such that when one of the axially movable clutch elements is driven by its'companion driving gear, ment is out of face of its companion driving gear and vice versa. These clutch elements are in the preferred form of the invention mounted upon a sliding frame and the invention includes specifically this frame. r In theaccompanying drawings I have illustrated a preferred and advantageous form of the invention by which the objects above stated are carried out, the details of such embodiment being set, forth at length 1n the following description. l

- *In the said plan view of transmission gearing constructed 1n accordance with the present invention.

for example, in hide avork ng machlnery and ln 'dlvers other 'ttends longitudinally of the series'of washing latter in turn driving the gargejsize pandas the other clutch eleengagement with the clutch novel means for reciprocating drawings: Figure l is a top.

, Specification of Letters Patent. Patented-Mani, Application filed March a, 1909. Serial No. 481,925..'

ication of my lmproved gearing toa washing nIachine or to a gang ofwaehin machines.

Similar characters of re erence refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views. a y In 'Fig. 1 the numeral" 1 indicates the V shaftof a suitable motor, as 2, shown more particularly in Fig. 4

and which is prefer-" ably an electricmotor.

Theinvention is illustrated in' connection s with a gang of washin' niachines,'fas3. 2' While this a lication o the invention is of particular'agvantage, itisnot obligatory." The shaft 1 isjournaled in a bearing 4 which is formed upon a rectangular skeletonsupporting base, as 5, the latter being stationary and having at its ends bearin 1 transmission shaft, as -7.' T e shaft Tex-j machines which are"arranged "in 'contef-Z v minous' relation and at suitable intervals is proyided with pinions, as 8,which'j mesh wit intermediate larger inions, as 9, the

IQ which'are connected to ,the stirrer armsff or ag1tators of the Several wash ng ma-' chines. B'y virtue of thiscaused to rotate very slowly,"even with'a speed. thereof with u standing bearin 's,as,l1, a transverse sliaft 12, whicli 1s. employed, f throughthe intermediary of ,meansj to fbef later described,to operate a slidablejframe] 13, thelat-ter being of substantially rectangu i l lar form and ng its end bars formed?- with collars 11 which surround thejshaft 7. The shaft 12 extends through "longitudinal 100 slots, as 15, which are formed in the side A bars of the frame 13 and the 'shaft 1 extends I: through a longitudinalslot, as 16, which '1s formed 'in the adjacent side bars of said frame 13. The shaft 7 is driven alternately in oppo site directions through the agency of clutch A elements 17 and 18 whichare keyed to the shaft 7 and are connected'to the end bar of the frame 13 so as'to move axially therei with and with respect to the shaft 7. but

rotatably t respect o the frame 13 and a Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional' view there f 1 F ig5'3 is a front elevation of a gang 0f s for the I arrangement of j gears 7, 8 and 9', thesaid stirrer armsfll f i motor designed to run at an unusually high The frame 5 is provided a fiCh Sid turn rotating the shaft -7. The clutch elements 17 and 18 are referably in the form of friction clutch dis s, this particular type of clutch element having been i found to be the most practical for carrying out thepurposes contemplated, Intermediate gearing 18 em loyed for drivin the disks 17 and 18, such intermediate gearing being constructed as follows. The shaft 1 has an end projectingwithin the confines of the frame 13 and carrying a bevel pinion, as 19, which is fast on said shaft and whichsimultaneously drives in opposite directions two bevel pinions, as'21 and 22, the latter being looseon the shaft 7 and-being spacedlfrom one another by a suitable collar, as 23. "The pinion 21"has its outer face,as]24, so constructed that said pinion constitutes also africtionclut'ch disk for driving the disk 17. The pinion 22 has an axiallyextended sleeve, as 25, which surrounds the shaft 7 andt'erminates in an enlargedflange, as 26',

I the latter also constituting a friction clutch '24 andvice versa. Owing disk and driving the disk 18. I Having thus established-the relationof the" arts 1t will beunderstoodthat when the disk 18 isin contact with the clutch element 26, the disk 17 isout ofcontact with the clutch element thepinions 21 {and 22*rotatein opposite directions, the disk 24 will, through the agency of the'disk17,"drive the shaft 7 in 0ned1r ection and the the agency of the movement therewith,

are connected to the its companion elementand the preferred embodiment of such means 'is as ollows. The sleeve 25 'is formed with an intermediate Worm gear, as 27 {which meshes with{ a worm Wheel, as 28, the latter being fast upon the shaft 12. The shaft 12"is employed-as the operating element'of "the frame shifting -meansand accordingly is provided" at points near the sidebars' of the frame 13 with'similarly arranged and proportioned cams," as 29, the latter co'- operating with-lugs, as30, which are secured -tothe sidebars of the frame The lugs 30 arelmountedupon the 'side' bars'for adjustment longitudinally thereof and accord ingly are of substantially-L-shape, having slotted extensions, as 31, through "which securing thumb screws, as r l 32, "extend", the screws 32 being threaded intothe'side bars .ofithe frame 13. In operation it is proposed that-the-agitators shall rotatea'd'esired numbers of times 'inone direction and 'then desired number of t mes '111 the'reverse direction and this ac shiftin ternate y opposite directions, whereby the disks-l8 and 26 are first engaged and then the disks 17 and 24 and so on to the fact that soastjo engage one disk-or the clutch element being oflugs on I of the cam for alternate engagement thereby.

tion isaccomplished by the gearing herein described. It will be apparent that the wheels 21 and 22 are driven continuously in opposite directions and-that the wheel 22, through the medium of the worm 27 and worm wheel 28, operates the shaft 12, the latter by virtue of the cams 29 and lugs 30,

the frame 13 longitudinally in alin the manner explained. The shifting movement of the frame 13 is at a comparatively slow rate of speed and the engagementbetween the clutch me1nbers is gradual and yet certain. In this manner shocks and sudden vibrations are effectually eliminated and the speed of i-otationof the shaft 7 is substantially uniform in both directions. The invention while efliciently attaining the objects for which it isdesigned, does not sacrifice the incidental requirements of strength, efficiency and practicability and may be inexpensively manufactured and readily set up jand'dismantled.

1Having fully. described my invention, I c arm:

1. In transmission gearing of the type set forth, in combination, a driven shaft, two

oppositely rotatable gear wheels each having 'a clutch face, a reciprocatory frame, rotatable clutch elements carried by the frame for driving said shaft and slidably related thereto, one clutch elementbeing m operative relation to 1 its companion clutch face while the other clutch element is in ino erative relationto its companion clutch ace and means for reciprocatin the frame including-a rotatable cam an a pair of lugs arranged on each side'of'the cam and alter nately engaged thereby tion of the frame,

to cause reciproca 2. In transmission gearing of the type set forth, in combination, a driven shaft, two

oppositely rotatable gear wheels for driving, the shaft, each gear wheel -having a clutch face, a reciprocatory frame,rotatable clutch elements carried'by the frame for driving the shaft and slidablyrelated thereto, one

in operative relation to itscompanion clutch face while the other clutch element is in inoperative relation to its companion clutch face, a: transverse shaft, a rotatable cam mounted 'thereon, means for driving the transverse shaft, j and a pair the frame arranged at each side 3. Intransmission gearing of the typeset forth, in combination, two oppositelyrotatable ear wheels each having a clutch face, riven from a two c utch elements, each. corresponding clutch face and axiallyalined therewith,

whichthe clutch elements are rotatably connected, a'shaft dr'ven alternately in opposite an axially movable carriage to directions by said clutch elements and means for causing reciprocatory axial movements of the carriage, and comprising a shaft, a cam thereon, a pair of lugs provided on the carriage for engagement by the cam, a worm connected to one of the gear wheels and a worm wheel mounted on the last named shaft and in mesh with the worm.

4. In transmission gearing of the type set forth, in combination, a driven shaft, a pair of oppositely rotatable gear wheels mounted thereon and having at their outer sides friction clutch faces, a reciprocating carriage, a friction clutch element rotatably mounted at each end of the carriage for cooperation with a companion clutch face, the clutch elements driving the shaft and being slidably related thereto and means for reciprocating the carriage including a rotatable cam and means on the frame and associated with opposite sides of the cam for alternate engagement thereby.

5. In transmission gearing of the type set forth, in combination, a driven shaft, a pair of oppositely rotatable bevel gear wheels mounted thereon and having at their outer sides friction clutch faces, an intermediate bevel gear for positively driving-the firstnamed gear wheels, a reciprocating member, a friction clutch element for engagement with each clutch face, and means for reciprocating the member to produce the alternate engagement and disengagement of the clutch elements and the corresponding clutch faces and includin means on the mem e opposite sides of the cam for alternate engagement thereby.

6. .In transmission gearing of the typeset forth, two oppositely rotatable bevel gear wheels having common direct driving means and having at relatively opposite sides there of friction clutch surfaces, a shaft passing loosely through the gear Wheels and driven alternately in o posite directions thereby, a friction clutch e emeut slidably keyed on the shaft, for engagement with each clutch surface, a reciprocatory member With respect to which the clutch elements are rotatable, the producing the alternate engagement member and disen 'agement of said elements and the corresponding clutch faces, and means for reciprocating the member, including a rotatable cam, means on the member and associated with opposite sides of the cam for alternate engagement thereby, and reducing gear for operating the cam from the driving means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses,

v PRENTICE E. CLARK. Witnesses:

N. G. KEIM, G. PALMER.

a rotatable cam and r and associated with 

